Easy Mexican Casserole

Submitted by NorthwestGal

"This is based on a recipe from the Allrecipes website submitted by AndreaLF63, which I made a few minor changes to suit our taste preferences such as adding a can of white corn and using canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh chopped tomatoes. But I look forward to making this again and trying some of the other changes that some of the reviewers suggested, like maybe adding some minced garlic or perhaps a diced jalapeno pepper or chopped bell pepper."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cups salsa
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn
• 1 1⁄2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
• 2 cups light sour cream
• 1 (3 7/8 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
• 3⁄4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup diced tomato (you can use 15-oz can diced tomatoes if drained well)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans and corn, and cook just until heated through.
3. Spread crushed tortilla chips in bottom of prepared baking dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over the beef layer, and then sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream layer.
4. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with cheddar cheese and return to oven to bake another 5 minutes or just until the cheese starts to melt.

Reviews

[Ruth C.]

I just made it and it is delicious. I'm going to make one just like it to carry over for a sick friend who loves Mexican food. I used Rotel tomatoes instead of fresh ones.

 

[Brandi W.]

Great dish! Made only a few changes. While I browned the meat, I added 1 tsp salt, and a half tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder. Also I used 3 cups of crushed chips, doubling the recipe amount. With those changes I will def make this again and again.

 

[Jadelabyrinth]

I made this for a church group over the weekend and they devoured it! I made a few changes. I followed the original recipes by omitting the corn and increasing the chips to 3 cups. Also, I omitted the olives as a personal preference. I completed step 2 the day before. I poured off the liquid on top of the chili beans, but did not drain them completely as I didn't want to lose all the seasoning. The next day the filling was very thick like a chili and was very easy to spread in the pan. I did use a 10 oz can if diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro for the tomato. Again, I poured off the top liquid, but did not drain these well. My baking dish was a foil 11.75x9.38-inch sterno pan. This made the contents deeper, so since I was starting with a cold filling, I baked it for 45 minutes, put the cheese on and then another 15 minutes. The food was hot, and the chips still had some crunch to them despite being on the bottom. It was a great hit, thanks so much!

 

[brynacal]

This was so yummy and easy. I made a few changes to suit everyone's taste. I used a jar (basically a cup and a half) of Trader Joe's Tomatillo & Roasted Yellow Chili salsa. This had just the right amount of smokey, spicy flavor for my family. I used the chopped tomatoes, olives, and green onions as garnish instead of baking them into the casserole so that everyone could personalize their bowl. It came out perfect. I like this way better than regular chili. This is a keeper and so easy!

 

[Tessa B.]

Made this for the Single Marines in my husband's shop for their Meal in the Barracks and I'm honestly jealous because it's so good and they get to eat it all. Haha. I saved a little for my small family of three to taste before sending the rest off to them. I'm sure it'll be a big hit over there.